A New Severus Snape
by wendymarlowe
Summary: During the Battle of Hogwarts, Voldemort casts a de-aging curse at Harry. Snape gets in the way of the curse, though, which de-ages him seventeen years. Snape is stuck at the age of twenty after Voldemort's defeat. When Hermione and her friends come back to school in the fall to start their seventh year, they're surprised to see Snape is still de-aged and looking for a cure.
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: A New Severus Snape

**Rating:** T (for now)

**Pairing(s)**: Severus/Hermione (hopefully)

**Warnings**: Canon Divergence, Ron-bashing (but he totally deserves it)

**Summary**: During the Battle of Hogwarts, Voldemort casts a de-aging curse at Harry. His intention is to return Harry to his infancy, to the age when he survived the killing curse, and make that Avada Kedavra stick this time around. Snape gets in the way of the curse, though, which de-ages him seventeen years. Voldemort is eventually defeated, but Snape is stuck at age twenty. When Hermione and her friends come back to school in the fall to start their seventh year, they're surprised to find that Snape is still de-aged and still stuck at Hogwarts trying to find a cure.

**Notes:** For the "Too Many Cooks" challenge. HP Slash Luv and I are sharing a universe, alternating 100-800-word drabbles based on one-word prompts and each other's previous work. We aren't allowed to write anything that doesn't agree with the canon we've already established. We'll try to keep it up until we write ourselves into a corner.

* * *

To see HP Slash Luv's side of the story, start with her version of "A New Severus Snape" - www dot fanfiction dot net/s/9917683/1/

* * *

Severus Snape gaped. He knew it wasn't a flattering expression on his face, but there was no way to occlude his expression – not after seeing Voldemort just . . . deflate like that. He turned to look behind him, at The Boy Who Lived -

- who was gaping right back. As was Granger. They were both staring directly at him.

"What?"

Granger recovered first. "That spell he was aiming for Harry. And you blocked it."

_Oh really? I didn't see._ He suppressed his mental eye roll. "I did."

Her eyes flickered down over his form, then back up to his face. "It hit you."

Severus took mental stock. He didn't feel any different – he assumed the spell had bounced off his shield –

Potter finally regained his voice. "You're not old anymore!" He immediately blushed. "I mean, that must have been a de-aging spell – you look the same age I am."

Severus ran a hand over his face – and was surprised to find that it did, indeed, feel strange. His skin was smoother. His hair even felt different – same length, but different texture. Could it really . . .

His mind raced ahead, even as he sought to explain. "The Dark Lord said he had a 'surprise' for you, Mr. Potter – I wonder if this was it. A de-aging spell . . . it would solve . . ."

They both watched him with identical uncomprehending faces.

And then the explanation clicked into place. "He was trying to fix the mistake he made seventeen years ago, I assume. If he could revert your age to a infancy, the same age you were when you survived the killing curse, it would be . . . poetic justice, I suppose? Possibly also some magical repercussions."

Potter frowned. "But he hit you instead."

"Apparently."

Granger stepped forward, reached up to touch his face, but reconsidered when she saw his expression. "So you're -"

"Around twenty, I should say. For the time being." He fixed them both with his best glare. "Do not make the mistake of assuming anything by it, I warn you. Shall we go tell the rest of the Order the good news?"

"That you're young again?" Merlin, the Potter boy was an idiot.

Granger smacked her friend. "That Voldemort is dead, you twit."

"Oh. Yeah, let's."


	2. Chapter 2

**Title**: A New Severus Snape

**Rating:** T (for now)

**Pairing(s)**: Severus/Hermione (hopefully)

**Warnings**: Canon Divergence, Ron-bashing (but he totally deserves it)

**Summary**: During the Battle of Hogwarts, Voldemort casts a de-aging curse at Harry. His intention is to return Harry to his infancy, to the age when he survived the killing curse, and make that Avada Kedavra stick this time around. Snape gets in the way of the curse, though, which de-ages him seventeen years. Voldemort is eventually defeated, but Snape is stuck at age twenty. When Hermione and her friends come back to school in the fall to start their seventh year, they're surprised to find that Snape is still de-aged and still stuck at Hogwarts trying to find a cure.

**Notes:** For the "Too Many Cooks" challenge. HP Slash Luv and I are sharing a universe, alternating 100-800-word drabbles based on one-word prompts and each other's previous work. We aren't allowed to write anything that doesn't agree with the canon we've already established. We'll try to keep it up until we write ourselves into a corner.

* * *

To see HP Slash Luv's side of the story, start with her version of "A New Severus Snape" - www dot fanfiction dot net/s/9917683/1/

* * *

SEVERAL MONTHS LATER

The students' first day back at Hogwarts was rather worse than usual. The school was still scarred from the battle, despite the workers who had been banging around and making it impossible to think straight all summer, but the major damage had been more or less repaired and Headmaster McGonagall had deemed it safe enough.

_Headmaster._ Would have still been him, if it hadn't been for the technicality of a spell which made him barely older than the students he was teaching. _Old enough to teach, but not old enough to convince the board of directors I'm fit_, Severus thought bitterly. Not that he really wanted the headmaster job – playing both sides against the middle while in full view of the public eye had been hell – but he didn't have to kowtow to the Dark Lord anymore now and Severus fancied he would have been able to make some positive changes. No longer.

The first of the older students streamed in the door, shivering from the chilly evening air. Severus endeavored to hurry past the worst of the noise and confusion and reach the relative oasis of the staff table in the Great Hall, but he couldn't help but overhear snatches of the conversation around him.

"That's him – can you believe it?"

"Omigod! He's actually kinda cute, now that he's our age!"

"Do you think he's going to keep teaching potions? I won't be able to stop giggling if he tries to glare at us!"

"I know, right? You think it's too late for me to sign up to take NEWT-level potions? I've always wanted a hot teacher!"

Severus bit back a comment – several comments – and stomped past the gaggle of sixth-year girls who were doing the worst of the speculating. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was inane giggling. (To be honest, he admitted to himself, there were a lot of things he couldn't stand – giggling just happened to be rather high on the list.)

It would have been so much easier if his last months' research had been fruitful. Not surprisingly, though, the bulk of the research on aging potions was assuming the witch or wizard wanted to look _younger_ – almost no one had bothered developing theories for how to look _older._ Or to revert to one's natural age. It was a glaring lack of academic precedent, one which made his own research all that much harder. Severus had spent the last several months practically cloistered in his private lab, only ducking out for occasional forays into the library, trying desperately to find a cure for the Dark Lord's curse sometime before the students were due back. He had run out of time. Now his only chance was to-

"Professor Snape?"

Severus looked up, on reflex, and found himself standing in front of the Golden Trio. Two of whom had the same surprised and amused looks on their faces as the rest of the student body. Miss Granger, however, had something more akin to concern on hers. She had been the one who spoke.

"You're . . . teaching again this year?" she asked.

Severus arched a well-practiced eyebrow. "That surprises you?"

"No, I just . . ." The pink in her cheeks looked like it wasn't entirely from the cold. "I'm surprised you're not, you know, _you_ again. I thought you would have been looking for a way to fix it. The spell. Although I suppose maybe-"

"How do you know I haven't been?" he snapped.

She colored even further. "Sorry."

Harry Potter drew up his chin and looked Severus in the eye – something he never would have done when there was still a visible twenty-year age gap between them, Severus noted. "I owe you some serious thanks," he said, quiet but sincere. "I understand how much it cost you to do – well, all of that. You were Dumbledore's man to the last, and we all apologize for doubting you."

"Let us know if there's anything we can do," Ron Weasley added, ever eager to be included.

Severus blinked. That was . . . not what he had expected from The Boy Who Sodding Lived To Be Famous All Over Again. It was remarkably mature for a Potter. But it was appreciated. And deserved an honest response.

"I can't say this is how I wanted things to be," Severus admitted, "but my physical age isn't the worst curse I could be dealing with. I do appreciate the apology. And the offer, unlikely as it may be."

"It stands," Granger's quiet voice added.

And Severus realized he might get some use out of them after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title**: A New Severus Snape

**Rating:** T (for now)

**Pairing(s)**: Severus/Hermione (hopefully)

**Warnings**: Canon Divergence, Ron-bashing (but he totally deserves it)

**Summary**: During the Battle of Hogwarts, Voldemort casts a de-aging curse at Harry. His intention is to return Harry to his infancy, to the age when he survived the killing curse, and make that Avada Kedavra stick this time around. Snape gets in the way of the curse, though, which de-ages him seventeen years. Voldemort is eventually defeated, but Snape is stuck at age twenty. When Hermione and her friends come back to school in the fall to start their seventh year, they're surprised to find that Snape is still de-aged and still stuck at Hogwarts trying to find a cure.

**Notes:** For the "Too Many Cooks" challenge. HP Slash Luv and I are sharing a universe, alternating 100-800-word drabbles based on one-word prompts and each other's previous work. We aren't allowed to write anything that doesn't agree with the canon we've already established. We'll try to keep it up until we write ourselves into a corner.

* * *

To see HP Slash Luv's side of the story, start with her version of "A New Severus Snape" - www dot fanfiction dot net/s/9917683/1/

* * *

The year's first meal was unsettling. Severus had spent his summer trying to get used to the changes in the Hogwarts staff – Headmaster Dumbledore left the largest hole in the fabric of the Hogwarts faculty, of course, but everyone was a bit broken after the battle. The Battle of Hogwarts, it was called now, all in fancy capitals and everything. Fifty deaths, several of them students.

And most of those were Slytherins. Severus wondered whether the Sorting Hat would take that into account when assigning first-years. Although the empty seats would be filled by the extra seventh-years, the muggle-borns who had been forced out of the school during his own brief stint as headmaster. And of course the Golden Bloody Trio. Would the hat skew more new students Slytherin, to keep the numbers even? Declare Slytherins anathema in its annoying little song and refuse to assign students to him at all? At least Severus was being allowed to stay head of Slytherin house, despite his current age difficulties . . . one normal thing to balance out all the oddities. He caught several students staring at him while they waited for the first-years to arrive, and he was pleased to discover that his reflexive glare seemed to work perfectly well for making them redden and turn away. _Two_ normal things, then – perhaps some things didn't change.

Headmaster McGonagall gave quite a nice speech, Severus had to admit. She didn't dismiss her students' deaths, but neither did she linger overly long on them. She outlined nicely the portions of the castle still undergoing reconstruction (don't go near the old charms classroom, don't try to use the room of requirement, don't take the moving stairway on Tuesdays if you don't want to get left on a ledge four stories up for a week), and the students seemed generally eager to get back into their routines. Severus didn't blame them.

And then the first-years were sorted (with no jibes from the hat and no particular bias, as far as Severus could tell), and food was eaten, and it was time to lead the Slytherins to their commons room and let the first-years sort themselves out. Severus led his unorthodox procession down to the dungeons with as few words as he could. The older students seemed to recognize their professor's preference for quiet, but two of the new first-years were completely oblivious.

"So you're Professor Snape, right?" asked one, a dark-skinned girl with horrifyingly enthusiastic admiration in her face.

Severus nodded, praying she'd take the hint.

"My mum told me about you – said if I got to be in Slytherin like her, you'd be my head of house. You're a war hero, you know!"

Severus rolled his eyes. "Yes, I've been told."

"Did you really save Harry Potter?" the other oblivious first-year asked.

"I couldn't stand the thought of him missing my classes."

"Ooh," the first girl exclaimed, "you're teaching potions again! So you can tell us all about-"

"No," Severus cut her off. "We're here – password is "murtlap." Any first-years who forget the password may end up spending the night on the floor in the hallway – I don't coddle, I don't chat, and I certainly don't anticipate any of you wanting to ask for my help on such a trivial matter as a forgotten password. Do I make myself clear?"

The first-years all nodded. Then the older students took over, herding them through the doorway and helping them claim their beds. Severus was happy to pass them off.

"Professor?" A sixth-year girl held back from the rest. "I was just curious . . ."

Severus frowned. "Yes?"

She looked up at him hopefully. "Are you . . . our age now? I mean, I know you're still teaching and all, but you're really cute and-"

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "_No_, Miss Mecksworth, I am in no way 'one of you,' in age or otherwise. And I sincerely hope this is the last time I hear any questions in this vein."

But it wouldn't be, and he knew it. Severus needed a drink. And maybe a plan.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title**: A New Severus Snape

**Rating:** T (for now)

**Pairing(s)**: Severus/Hermione (hopefully)

**Warnings**: Canon Divergence, Ron-bashing (but he totally deserves it)

**Summary**: During the Battle of Hogwarts, Voldemort casts a de-aging curse at Harry. His intention is to return Harry to his infancy, to the age when he survived the killing curse, and make that Avada Kedavra stick this time around. Snape gets in the way of the curse, though, which de-ages him seventeen years. Voldemort is eventually defeated, but Snape is stuck at age twenty. When Hermione and her friends come back to school in the fall to start their seventh year, they're surprised to find that Snape is still de-aged and still stuck at Hogwarts trying to find a cure.

**Notes:** For the "Too Many Cooks" challenge. HP Slash Luv and I are sharing a universe, alternating 100-800-word drabbles based on one-word prompts and each other's previous work. We aren't allowed to write anything that doesn't agree with the canon we've already established. We'll try to keep it up until we write ourselves into a corner.

* * *

To see HP Slash Luv's side of the story, start with her version of "A New Severus Snape" - www dot fanfiction dot net/s/9917683/1/

* * *

"Miss Granger, would you stay after class please? The rest of you, potions on my desk. I expect three feet on the healing properties of dittany by next week."

Severus pinched the brige of his nose and waited impatiently for the seventh-years to clear out of the classroom. Usually his advanced potions class was one of his favorites – he had weeded out the dunderheads already – but now they were a week into the schoolyear and the older students were already proving the most trying. The first- and second-years still responded to him with the normal mixture of fear and awe, but several of the older ones kept _flirting_ with him. And all the students in between kept laughing at his predicament when they thought he wasn't looking. No amount of scowling, glaring, or scathing rebukes seemed to stop them.

"Sir?"

Severus dropped into his seat and indicated to Hermione to pull up a chair in front of his desk. "I have a problem," he admitted.

"The curse?"

Severus nodded. "I've been scouring the library for months, but I'm no closer to reversing it than I was after the battle. And it's becoming apparent that my current appearance is causing problems with my ability to command the students' respect."

Hermione ducked her head a bit, refusing to look at him. "Not all the students, sir. It's just . . . a rather large change to adjust to."

"I'd noticed," he replied dryly.

Her gaze darted up to his face and then fell back to the wood grain on his desk. "For what it's worth, sir, I think it was very noble of you to take the brunt of the curse like that. Not knowing what it would do. Harry keeps intending to come thank you in person, but he's still intimidated by you."

Severus snorted. "Wonderful. I can intimidate one Gryffindor, but not the rest of the school."

Hermione's head came back up. "Sir -"

"No, although I appreciate the notice. But I asked you to stay because I was hoping you'd be willing to help."

The muscles in her throat jumped. "Me?" she squeaked.

Severus suddenly realized he had no idea how to phrase this – it had been a half-formed notion to start with, and now that he had Miss Granger in front of him, his usual poise had vanished. He settled on honesty. "I've rather hit a wall," he admitted. "And now that the schoolyear has started, I have much less free time to research."

Hermione let out a slow breath. "You want me to help you find a cure for the curse."

Severus arched an eyebrow at her. "You're one of the most gifted students I've ever met, Miss Granger," he said. "Your essays for my class are more thoroughly researched than many academic papers I come across. I get the feeling you're fairly comfortable in the Hogwarts library."

"Yes, I am, but -"

"I'm offering a trade," he interrupted smoothly. "If you will use some of your free time to investigate curses and cures for this – whatever-it-is – that the Dark Lord cast on me, I will grant you two hours a week of private tutoring in whichever subjects you would find the most useful." He allowed himself a small smile. "Not that I believe you need it, Miss Granger, but I'm assuming you'd jump at the chance to do some advanced work."

He tried not to laugh at the sudden glow in her expression. "Whichever topics I like?" she asked.

"I fear my knowledge of divination, muggle studies, and the history of magic may not be sufficient to provide much additional guidance, but I'd be happy to help with potions, defense against the dark arts, arithmancy, charms, or transfigurations. Or any side-projects you may have in mind."

The smile she shot him hit him somewhere in the gut. "I – of course. Yes, absolutely!" She sat up straighter, her eyes glittering with enthusiasm. "When?"

Severus thought a moment. "Would Saturday evenings work for you? I need to be available to my Slytherins immediately after supper, but we could meet in my office from eight to ten each Saturday evening. That shouldn't interfere with your other classes."

Hermione nodded once and offered a hand for a very muggle handshake. Severus took it, bemused, and they shook twice on the deal.

"Very well, then, Miss Granger, I shall see you Saturday. Best get going so you're not late to your next class."

"Thank you, sir." She flashed him a small smile, then gave a little hop and twirled around girlishly. "I can't wait!"


End file.
